Pakistan gives consular access to Sarabjit

He said External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh had told Pakistan High Commissioner Aziz Ahmed Khan yesterday that Sarabjit’s issue was a humanitarian one.

Saran said need for a more humanitarian approach to each other’s prisoners would be discussed at the Home Secretary-level talks here on August 29-30 and the Foreign Secretary-level talks at the end of October in Islamabad. He said the possibility of continuing dialogue under a changed format might be discussed.

Affirming that there had been ‘‘noticeable progress’’ in the composite dialogue process, Saran said the mandate of the Indo-Pak Joint Commission — which reports in the Pakistani media said could oversee further talks — would also have to be discussed.

On Afghanistan, Saran said New Delhi had offered it full support, including security assistance against the ‘‘newly-emerging threat’’ of Pakistan-based Taliban. He said development of trade and reconstruction of Afghanistan was being hampered by Islamabad’s denial of transit.